It Keeps Going, And Going: Sony Drops PlayStation 2 to $99

By Geoff Duncan March 31, 2009

It Keeps Going, And Going: Sony Drops PlayStation 2 to $99

Sony’s venerable PlayStation 2 has been on the market even longer than Windows XP: Sony first introduced the console in late 2000 (in North America) and (despite some revisions that have slimmed down its case and lowered component costs) has remained largely unchanged in that time. And the PlayStation 2 business has been very good to Sony: the company has managed to sell over 50 million units in North America. Now Sony is looking to sell even more, announcing that it is dropping the base retail price for the PlayStation 2 from $129 to $99, putting it under that oh-so-important $100 price point.

“This new price means that more people than ever will be able to join in on the fun that so many of you PlayStation 2 owners have been enjoying for years,” wrote Sony Computer Entertainment’s director of hardware marketing John Koller, on the PlayStation blog. “With this new price, we intend to introduce a new generation of consumers—some of whom weren’t even alive when the system was first introduced in 2000—to the immense entertainment value offered by PlayStation 2.”

Although the PS2 doesn’t tap into Internet gaming or purchasing, offer high-definition gaming, or act as an extension of a home’s media network, the PlayStation 2 does offer a wealth of games (almost 2,000 titles—not counting games for the original PlayStation—none of which can be played on the oh-so-high-tech PlayStation 3). The PS2 also still has new games coming out: with an installed base that large, game publishers and studios are still creating titles for the PS2, although the pace has slackened a bit in recent years.

Critics, of course, note that taking $30 off the price of the PlayStation 2 might encourage a few holdouts to get into the video game market, but from a broader standpoint, Sony might have been better advised to cut prices on its Blu-ray equipped PlayStation 3, which is still racking up disappointing sales numbers in comparison to the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Gaming

PlayStation Spring Sale: best deals, how long is the sale, and more

With the rise of all-digital consoles, more and more people are doing a majority of their game shopping on digital storefronts. For PlayStation 5 owners, whether you have a disk drive or not, you more than likely have at least a couple of games purchased from the PlayStation Store. The convenience of simply downloading a game and not having to worry about the disk is great, but you also can catch some amazing deals. The biggest sales events come seasonally, and the current Spring Sale is offering deep discounts of up to 90% on some of the biggest games on the platform. If you've been waiting to pick up one of the great games you missed earlier this year or in years past, now might be the best time to snag it for cheap!
When is the PlayStation Spring Sale 2024?
The PlayStation Spring Sale started on March 27, 2024, but new deals were added on April 10 that will last until April 24.

If any deal is exclusively for a PS5 version of a game that is also on PS4, we will note that beside the title. Since all PS4 games run on PS5, we won't mark PS4 games.
Best deals for the PlayStation Spring Sale
God of War Ragnarök Sony Interactive Entertainment

Gaming

The best games on PlayStation Plus, Extra, and Premium

A person plays Crash Bandicoot using a PS5 DualSense controller.

PlayStation Plus has undergone several iterations and changes since its introduction. Originally, the service wasn't required for online play at all and rewarded subscribers with extra discounts and free monthly games. Once the PlayStation 4 generation began, it was required for online play but still offered those same benefits.

Now, PS Plus is divided into three different tiers of subscriptions. The basic tier, PS Plus Essential, still gets three games per month added, while the Extra and Premium tiers will have a varying number of games added to their catalogs. With hundreds of games already and more coming and going all the time, even the most dedicated gamer won't be able to play everything on offer. To help you get the most bang for your buck and so that no hidden gems fly under your radar, here are all the best games to play on PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium right now.
Best PS Plus Essential games
As is usually the case, everyone with the lowest tier of PS Plus gets three games this month, two with PlayStation 5 versions and one with a PS4 version. Here's what you can play this month:

Gaming

PlayStation Plus’ most notable free April offerings come from Microsoft

Four players stand together in the 4v4 PvP mode of Minecraft Legends.

Sony outlined all the new offerings PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers can expect in April; surprisingly, Microsoft is the company behind two of this month's four offerings, Minecraft Legends, and the Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle.

On April 2, PS Plus can get those two things free of charge in addition to Immortals of Aveum and Skul: The Hero Slayer. Immortals of Aveum is a single-player shooter where players use magic instead of weapons. Although the thing it's most notable for is flopping upon its release, Immortals of Aveum is still a solid shooter that you might have missed out on, and you should give it a shot now that you can get it through PS Plus. Meanwhile, Skul: The Hero Slayer is a tough 2D platformer roguelike that should entertain fans of that genre for quite some time.